First Flame (Stories of Frost and Fire Book 1) Read online

The dream was real. It was the future. My future.

  “How many times have you had it?” Nick asked.

  “Four or five times,” I said, trying to catch my breath. I released Kyrie’s arms, and he stood up to hug me.

  “When were you going to tell me?” Nick asked.

  “I didn’t intend to tell you at all because you will tell my mother,” I said.

  “She needs to know!”

  “I’ll handle it,” I shot back at him.

  “You should tell her,” another male voice chimed in. I looked to see the Prince of Summer standing the doorway. Rory Knight was the son of Astor Knight, King of Summer. His twin sister, Ruby, was a vixen. But Rory was much like his father. Kind, truthful, and very red-headed. Soraya, my best friend, was in love with him. He liked her too, but not like Soraya wanted. Rory focused on his duties, learning everything about the Summer Otherworld. He took it seriously.

  Astor had sent Rory to us to learn about the work we were doing, but I got the impression that he was sent here to get away from Summer. To see what else was out there. I’d made the choice myself, but Rory had to be forced into it.

  “I’m not the perfect little prince like you are, Rory,” I said, stomping out of the room.

  “Winnie, wait!” Kyrie called out to me.

  “Maybe you should try harder!” Rory said as I grabbed the front door to the office. I wanted to hit the street running, but I stopped in my tracks.

  “Hello,” I said to the stunning woman standing before me. She was flanked by two very large men in suits. She wore a black sequined gown that touched the ground and held a brown cigarette by a long cigarette holder which glittered like diamonds. A fur scarf wrapped around her neck and hung to her knees. I hoped to the moon it was fake. But nothing seemed fake about this woman. It was as if she had walked out of a 1920s speak-easy.

  “Is this the headquarters for the F.B.I.?” she asked.

  “Um, depends,” I replied as Kyrie walked up behind me. The woman’s eyes turned to him and lit up.

  “This is the place,” she said. “May I come in?”

  “Oh, yes, of course,” I said, moving out of her way. “Quit drooling.” I backhanded Kyrie in the stomach.

  Nick came out of the back room, spoke to Rory who went into the back room with the girl, then shut the door.

  “Hello, I’m Dominick Meyer. I’m the head of the Steelshore operations of the F.B.I.” He extended his hand to her.

  “A wolf in charge of fairy business?” she scoffed. “I’d rather talk to the prince you just shut up in the back room.”

  “Hey, he’s in charge here,” I protested, but Kyrie pinched me in the side.

  Nick shot me the ‘shut the fuck up’ look. “Ma’am, I am Faeborn. The King of Winter is like a brother to me.”

  She lifted her eyebrow, then took a puff from her cigarette. Whatever she was smoking smelled heavenly. It certainly wasn’t tobacco. In fact, it smelled like some of the concoctions of a Solomonar that lived in Shady Grove. She looked around her, and Kyrie practically jumped the desk to offer her a seat. My seat. She smiled at him, then sat down.

  “Since this is all I have to work with, so be it. I am Eartha Hamlet. I own Ely House,” she said, stopping to see our reaction. We looked at each other trying to figure out what Ely House was.

  “How may I help you, Miss Hamlet?” Nick asked.

  “Are you one of her knights?” she asked. She referred to my mother who had a group of knights that had sworn blood oaths to her.

  “I am,” Nick replied with pride.

  “Very well. I have an issue that I would like to bring before the Queen. My jazz club has kept a clean nose in all of this fairy business. We have stayed out of the fight because I have both Summer and Winter in my employ. However, it has been brought to my attention that some nefarious activities were going on under my nose. Perhaps the information I have will help you with your trafficking problem,” she said.

  I didn’t have the instinct of Aydan, but I immediately distrusted this woman. She had an agenda, and I doubted it had anything to do with helping anyone but herself.

  “I would be thankful for any information you are willing to give,” Nick said, remaining a gentleman which was what she expected of him. I’d seen Nick in action. He had many faces. He wore the diplomat face at the moment.

  “I recently discovered that two of my bartenders were passing information for some of the traffickers in town to my V.I.P. patrons. I’ve dealt with both of them. I have no desire to muddy the good name of Ely House with such ugly dealings. Before I dealt with them, I made sure that I had all the information I could get from them. Granted, I didn’t do the dirty work myself.” She reached up and ran her hand down the toned muscled arm of the bodyguard to her right. He shuddered with her touch. “They divulged the name of their contact.”

  “And who was it?” Nick asked.

  “Sidney Melville,” she said, taking another puff on her cigarette that didn’t seem to turn to ash or deplete.

  “Forgive me. We’ve only been in town a few months. I do not recognize the name,” Nick said politely.

  She rolled her eyes, then twirled the cigarette holder like a baton. It disappeared. I immediately opened my sight to see what she looked like. A deep turquoise glow enveloped her like a swimming pool in sunlight. She stood and approached Nick who stiffened at her approach. “Mr. Meyer, I normally cannot influence a wolf, but I’m sure that the fairy in me can speak to the fairy in you.” She reached up and stroked his cheek.

  “Sorry, Miss Hamlet, but you underestimate my fortitude,” Nick said, looking her directly in the eye. I tensed, and I felt Kyrie do the same.

  “Perhaps. Perhaps,” she purred. “Sidney Melville is the manager at Savoy Palace. It’s a burlesque club across town.”

  “A rival of yours?” Nick asked, picking up on her hostility.

  “We cater to different kinds of clients,” she said in reply.

  “And he owns the club?”

  She stepped back from him, flicked her fingers, and the cigarette reappeared. “No, he’s the manager. But I assure you that you will find answers there. I apologize that I cannot give you more. I’d prefer that all of you vacate Steelshore. You came and brought the Sanhedrin with you.”

  “They were here when we got here,” I said. Nick didn’t look at me, but I saw his jaw clench. I wasn’t a diplomat. Something I got from my mother.

  Miss Hamlet cut her eyes to me. “What are you?”

  “What are you?” I countered.

  She chuckled as she walked to the door. Her guards opened the door for her. “Come to my club, Little One, and you will see what I am.”

  The door shut after she walked out.

  “I’ll show her what I am.”

  Nick sighed. “Winnie.”

  “Yeah, I get it. I shouldn’t have spoken. Fucking fairies,” I muttered, then continued my bolt to the door that had been so rudely interrupted. Kyrie followed me. He didn’t speak as I mall walked down the sidewalk toward my apartment.

  When I entered the building, he was on my heels. I started up the steps, and he stopped, waiting to be invited. Anyone that didn’t live in the building had to be invited into the upper floors.

  Without looking at him, I said, “Come on.”

  When we made it to my room, I stormed into the room. He grabbed me, pulling me back to him.

  “Look at me, Sunshine.”

  I tilted my head up to look into his starry eyes. My fire calmed, and my body relaxed. His magic flowed over me. It felt like a warm blanket on a cold night. My eyelids drooped, and I felt him pull back. I’d seen Kyrie use his full power before. Sleep and dreams. He’d helped me sleep when I couldn’t, but he had no way of keeping my nightmares away. The dreams he supplied would always be interrupted by the visions that plagued me.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “For what? Being yourself? I wouldn’t have you any other way.”

  “These dreams have to stop.”
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  “We will try again.”

  “We’ve tried and tried. It does no good.” I laid my head on his chest, and his arms tightened around me. The last thing I wanted to do was make him feel like he failed me, because he had tried to help me when no one else was there. No one else could do anything. Aydan and Callum knew, but I didn’t talk to Mom or Levi about it. Although, I suspected that Levi knew just because of his intuition.

  “We will find a way. Maybe Killian…”

  “No. I don’t want him involved. He’s not old enough yet.”

  “You are right. What do you say we visit a burlesque club tonight? It might be fun.” I heard the playfulness in his voice.

  “Maybe. You will probably enjoy it more than me. Maybe you should take Rory.”

  “I think that’s a brilliant idea. I’ll bet a bottle of Merlot that I have from the old orchard in Summer that the Princeling won’t be fazed by the swinging kitties.”

  “That’s a safe bet.”

  “Then bet me.” He pushed me away from him but stuck his hand between us.

  “Fine. If he does, I get the Merlot.” Bastard knew I’d developed a taste for red wine while away from my mother’s home. She preferred whiskey. She also preferred that I didn’t drink, but she couldn’t stop me here.

  “We can shake on it or kiss on it.”

  I stepped closer to him past his handshake. He lowered his head to mine, taking my offered lips. The soft kiss left me wanting more. I always wanted more with Kyrie, but he never let it get out of hand.

  His face hovered near mine. “Why do you do that?” I whispered.

  “Do what?”

  “Hold back.”

  “Because one day you will leave me, and I don’t want to get lost in your fire.”

  “What if I don’t leave you?”

  “Then, I will wait for that day.”

  He allowed me to kiss him again, but I felt his hesitance. He was right. I didn’t know what I wanted, and to drag him into something more serious would be wrong of me. Kyrie flirted and played, but he would give our relationship one hundred percent if I chose him. He just waited on me to decide exactly what our relationship was.

  “Holy hot mama,” Kyrie exclaimed as I walked out of the apartment building. I did own a few nice dresses. I loved my jeans, but my mom was a fairy queen. I never had a lack of dresses. I’d had this one made without Mom’s knowledge. The neckline dipped lower than it should, and the hem didn’t hit a proper length. The lace short sleeves gave it an elegant touch, but if I was honest, this dress wasn’t about elegance.

  “Thanks,” I said to Kyrie as I climbed into his Lexus RX.

  “I love the dress,” he said as he entered on the driver’s side of it.

  “Where is the rest of it?” Rory asked from the backseat. Soraya covered her mouth, hiding her laugh. I didn’t fault her for laughing at his rude remark. She’d been crushing on the ginger prince for a while.

  “In your imagination,” I replied.

  She stopped laughing, but I saw her biting her lip. Kyrie smirked and started our drive to Savoy Palace on the other side of town. I’d researched the place online and didn’t find a lot about it. It seemed to have gone out of fashion a while back but recently had a resurgence of activity. The shows had good reviews, and I saw no evidence of fairy activity which would be normal considering how well we blend in with the human population.

  When we pulled into the parking lot, I gasped at the impressive lighted building. Moulin Rouge had nothing on this place. Painted red and gold, the outside had a flashing old-fashioned marquee. Soraya put her arm through mine.

  “You do look hot,” she said.

  “Thanks.”

  “And the hair, au natural,” she said, commenting on the normal dark brown.

  “I wanted to look less fairy tonight,” I said.

  “My bestie, you are going to be the most gorgeous girl in the room.”

  “You look fantastic, too.” I finally got a look at the black and cream dress that she wore. It contrasted with her dark skin, giving her a radiant glow. “Even if Rory doesn’t notice.”

  “He notices,” she said.

  “Oh, really? Do tell,” I said.

  “Then you have to tell me about you and Kyrie.”

  I dropped my head. “Mark was here yesterday.”

  “Oh? Is he okay?”

  “The pack is still giving him hell about a mate.”

  “Sounds like the pack needs another lesson by the Queen.” My mother had stood up to them once by bowing to Mark as their leader. It had pretty much shut them up, but I knew she would stay out of this one for my sake. This wasn’t just about Mark. It was about me, too. Despite our differences, Mom wanted me to make my own choices about partners.

  “Fairy Tale Follies featuring Scarlett O’Lear.” Rory read the sign.

  “So much for hiding the fairy presence,” I muttered.

  “They probably present it as fake,” Kyrie said, offering me his arm. I gladly took it. He bought tickets for all of us in the V.I.P. section. We were escorted to our place by a man wearing a pair of dress pants, a bowtie, and washboard abs.

  “Nice,” Soraya muttered, causing me to giggle.

  “This is your table,” the man said. “Care for beverages?”

  “Whiskey neat,” Kyrie said.

  “A glass of merlot,” I said with a wink to Kyrie to remind him of our bet.

  “Water,” Rory said.

  “I’d just like a Coke,” Soraya said. I felt like a heathen. At least, Kyrie would be lumped in that bad kid group with me.

  I surveyed the room looking at the others sitting at V.I.P. tables. I didn’t recognize any of them, but there were balcony booths where people on the floor could not see the occupants except when they stood. Looking through my sight, about one third of the room glowed with the aura of a fairy. Kyrie leaned closer to me, putting his arm around my shoulders.

  “Pretty high concentration of our kind,” he said.

  “Yeah, I wonder how many of them know who I am,” I said. Sometimes I forgot who my mother was when it came to these things. We weren’t exactly low profile.

  With about five minutes to go before the show started, ab man returned with our drinks. He also handed me a card. I looked down at the business card. It had a logo that I recognized. Looking up to the man for an explanation, he nodded across the room to the balcony booth closest to the stage. The figure looming there was one I recognized. He lifted his glass to me with a mischievous smile.

  I’d been in Steelshore for a few months, and I hadn’t seen my favorite vampirate, Seamus Daragh. I knew he was here, because he told me that he would be. I wasn’t surprised to find him at a burlesque show. He probably considered pasties to be a form of treasure.

  I lifted my glass to him. Kyrie followed my gaze and grunted. He didn’t approve of my friendship with the scandalous vampirate who played both sides. He’d never done that with me. He’d always been straight with me about his intentions and his advice. I considered him a friend. I suspected Kyrie’s dislike stemmed from the green-eyed monster, but he had nothing to be jealous about. Seamus was just a friend.

  “Mr. Daragh has covered your bill for the evening,” Mr. Abs said.

  “That isn’t necessary,” I protested.

  “He said you would say that,” Mr. Abs replied.

  “Tell him, thanks, but no thanks,” I said.

  “He said if you said that, then he would request you to join him in his booth,” Mr. Abs said.

  “No,” Kyrie said. Soraya giggled. I shot her a look. Rory looked confused.

  “Would you stop? Do you know how old he is?”

  “He doesn’t look old,” Soraya said.

  “You aren’t helping. Please tell Mr. Daragh, thank you for the drinks.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Mr. Abs replied as the room darkened. I looked up to Seamus’ booth, but I could no longer see him. I wondered what he had been up to since I saw him last.

  The m
usic began with Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Garland Waltz. An exceptionally gorgeous and completely fairy woman danced on to the stage in a long pink dress with feathers around the bottom hem. The bodice sparkled with sequins and jewels. She swirled around the stage, spinning the dress around and around.

  The trees in the forest moved like normal trees, and the leaves flitted like a breeze blew through them. Pink flower petals floated to the floor. Opening my sight, I saw the glow around each one.

  “Kyrie,” I muttered.

  He leaned into my ear. “I see it all. Just watch the show. We don’t know what’s going on,” he suggested. He kissed my cheek, then squeezed my hand.

  Tiny pixies dressed in green and pink acted as the props in the show. I wondered what other fairies were part of this organization. I looked back to Mr. Abs who glowed a bright blue. A Winter fairy and part of my mother’s realm.

  Another woman joined Aurora on stage. Large black horns rose from her head which weren’t fake. This woman wore a long black dress with green underpinning. The waltz stopped, and I Put a Spell on You played.

  The Aurora character hid behind a tree as the Maleficent character teased the crowd by slowly removing her gloves. The crowd cheered as she twirled them around like helicopter blades. With a slight movement, the skirt to her dress hit the floor revealing a green corset, black barely-there panties, and lacy thigh highs. She also carried a large staff with a glowing stone at the top. She banged it on the floor and a woman appeared in a black feather covered cloak. She “flew” around the stage with the cloak fluttering around her.

  “This is creepy,” Soraya whispered in my ear.

  “I dunno. It’s an interesting form of theatre,” I replied.

  “No, that they are using powers out in the open, and every human in this place thinks it’s a stage act,” she said.

  “As long as people think it’s an act, I don’t know that anyone sees anything except boobies,” I replied. I swirled my fingers in front of my breasts like they had tassels attached. Rory’s eyes were fixed on the stage, but Kyrie coughed and slapped my hand down.

  “Stop,” he grunted.

  “Does that turn you on?” I asked.

  “Wynonna,” he hissed.